Snowmobile tracks are driven by rotating sprocket that has protruding lugs that mesh with a series of holes formed in the track. Generally C-shaped metal clips are crimped to the track through adjacent drive holes. These clips prolong the life of the track as they prevent the sprocket from coming into direct contact with the track. These clips also serve as a surface for the suspension slides to run on. As the snowmobile is driven, these clips become worn and have to be replaced. These worn or missing clips must be replaced to avoid premature track damage or breakage.
Currently there are several types of tools and techniques available to snowmobiling enthusiasts which allow them to couple new track clips onto a snowmobile track. These current tools and techniques suffer from several drawbacks.
The first method is to simply use conventional hand tools such as pliers, channel-locks, and hammers to close the clip around the track. This technique suffers from the drawbacks that it is a time-consuming process, the clips may not be properly crimped onto the track, and the track may have to be completely removed from the snowmobile. If the clips are not properly crimped onto the track, the clip may fail prematurely or fall off during use. Having to completely remove the track from the snowmobile to install new track clips further undesirably adds to the time to perform this type of maintenance on the snowmobile. Additionally, removal of the track increases the likelihood of improper track reinstallation which may result in the track breaking during use.
One type of clip installation tool currently available includes a small crimping die which travels along a pair of guide rails. The stationary portion of the tool is placed with the clip in the inside of the track while the movable die portion is disposed on the outer or exterior portion of the tread. The die is actuated by a screw which presses the die into the clip thereby crimping the clip to the track.
This type of tool is undesirable as the die and guide configuration of the tool requires that the tool be disassembled to allow the tool to be inserted through the track holes and then reassembled around the track. After the clip is crimped, the tool must be disassembled again. This increases the time needed to crimp the clip to the track. Additionally, newer style tracks have higher lugs or traction ribs which prohibit the use of this type of tool.
Lastly, a lever type crimping apparatus is available which is generally configured as modified pliers having opposed crimping ends. This type of tool suffers from the drawback that the force needed to crimp track clips require a lever type tool having relatively long moment arms (i.e., handles). This increased length of the prior art handles prevents the tool from being used from the inside of the track unless the track is removed. Crimping the clip from the outer side with such a pliers configuration may result in the clip bending at the incorrect location as there is no support behind the center of the C-shaped clip.
The present invention provides for a tool that overcomes all of the above stated drawbacks of prior art snowmobile track clip installation tools and techniques.